CarpathCC Climate Change Framework Project

Background

Preliminary assessments of potential climate change impacts in the Carpathian Region identified key vulnerabilities being lack of water due to increasing drought tendency, increasing frequency of heat waves and changing flood conditions, which effects on ecosystems and related production systems, e.g. agriculture, forestry and tourism. To successfully address these vulnerabilities – besides infrastructure investments –, ecosystem – based adaptation measures and actions leading to the increase of societal resilience will be required.

The Region

The spacial area of interest includes the Carpathian Mountain Chain (including the Transylvanian Depression), and the adjacent areas of the Carpathian Basin (Pannonian Depression), involving Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, Serbia and Romania.

The Carpathian Region and countries. Analysis will cover the area between the latitudes 50°N and 44°N and longitudes 17°E and 27°E.

The Project

The CarpathCC Climate Change Framework Project aims to provide an in-depth assessment of the vulnerability of the Carpathian region to climate change and establish a diversified portfolio of sustainable adaptation measures with the active and valuable cooperation of international environmental experts. This policy decision support study will be produced in close cooperation with the most important stakeholder groups from the 7 countries of the Carpath Convention. Vulnerability of water, soil, forests, ecosystems and related production systems will be assessed in order to propose concrete ecosystem-based adaptation measures, including their costs and benefits.

Research topics – Modules reflecting Service Requests

In particular the European Commission requested the following actions called Special Requests (SRs) to be developed by the members of the Consortium:

Based on Pan-Carpathian historical trends and projections changes in floods, droughts and snow cover will be projected, seasonal shifts in water balance and impacts on soil will be analysed. Mapping out areas exposed to future landslides and mudflows is also foreseen.

This study addresses Carpathian ecosystems vulnerability to CC focusing on forests, - including changes in forest cover, effects on pests and pathogens -, grasslands, wetlands as the most sensitive indicators of environmental changes.

Two major parts are incorporated: Positive and negative climate impacts on ecosystem services with specific reference to multifunctional landscapes and grasslands and assessment of the vulnerability of the tourism sector.

Ex-post evaluation of adaptation measures of pre-defined, already existing projects of given funding schemes and other adaptation strategies developed outside the region. It will also provide insights in costs and benefits of forest, wetlands and non-agricultural grasslands. Finally, it will assess the opportunities and barriers for mainstreaming adaptation into rural development policy and national implementation of the CAP.

The main purpose is to identify, inform and integrate the most important stakeholder groups into the project throughout marketing communication tools and well prepared workshops organised at different locations in order to ensure applicability of the project outcome.

The Tatra National Park (UNESCO), Rodnei and Maramureş Area, the Târnava Mare Area (NATURA 2000), the Iron Gates and the Bükk National park will be assessed in relation to impacts on water resources, CC threats on ecosystems, ecosystem-based production systems and applicable adaptation measures.